“She’s a prick-tease, and you don’t date her. Not if you want me to throw you any passes this season.” When he glanced over at Taryn, Derek’s eyes had blazed with something that looked a whole lot like hatred.
I’d caught Ronnie’s eye, and he’d mouthed, “Later.”
Ronnie hadn’t known the particulars, only that bad blood boiled between Derek and Taryn, and Derek had put the word out that no one could date her. She needed to be taught a lesson or something. If I wanted to shine in my position—which, of course, I did—I’d better not cross the boss. According to Ronnie, she was a classy chick and way out of all our leagues, Derek’s included. While Derek had it in for her, the rest of the team looked out for her. But no one had ever asked her out.
As I said, I’d honed my skills at reading people and was an excellent judge of character. I had no doubt Ronnie was being straight up with me. More importantly, he was looking out for me, so I’d listened to him.
A few days later when we all walked by the cheerleaders again, we’d stopped so Derek could introduce me. When he got to Taryn, I said, “Nice to meet you, Karen.”
“It’s Taryn with aT,” she’d corrected with a shy smile andfuck, I wanted to take her home right there and then.
Instead I said, “Ooh. Nice to meet you,T.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I’d clocked Derek’s glare and backed off, turning on the flirt with one of the other girls. It had nearly killed me to watch the shine dim in Taryn’s eyes when I friend-zoned her in front of everyone.
By Homecoming, I’d gone out with every cheerleader on the team except for Taryn, which satisfied Derek and kept me in the game till the end of the season. He didn’t seem to care that I hung out at T’s house on the regular during the week. Then again, he didn’t take physics or advanced math, so I guess he thought I needed Taryn’s help since I’d done the stupid thing and enrolled in hard classes. At the time, I wondered if his beef with her was that she was so much smarter than him. It took me until right before prom that spring to find out the truth.
In the other schools I’d attended, I’d run through girls like a first-class man-whore—and reveled in it. It was one of the perks of being a horny teenage boy and the popular new kid who knew he wouldn’t be returning to that school the next year. But after meeting Taryn Hamilton, chasing every girl in sight stopped working for me. By New Year’s Eve, I was done. And football was done too, so Derek didn’t have any more power over me.
But on New Year’s Eve, I also screwed up in the worst way possible, and Taryn, who hadn’t hidden her interest in me, had turned the tables and friend-zoned me. Hard.
So now we hung out like best buds while I tried to figure out how to change the status quo. Of course, spending the past four years in military service out of state—for a year, out of country—had created all sorts of problems in terms of changing our relationship. My long absence had also opened the door for some ass-wipe to swoop in and steal my girl this past year for months that had stretched into a lifetime.
On Sunday morning, I had the idea to casually show up at the Hamiltons’ and catch Taryn before she headed back to campus. Knowing her penchant for sleeping in, I figured if I arrived by ten, I wouldn’t be too early and might even snag an invite to breakfast.
Mrs.Hamilton opened the front door to my knock.
“I’m sorry, Danny, she left about thirty minutes ago. Something about her shift starting at one.” Mrs.H.’s eye roll spoke volumes. “I would have thought she’d have called someone when she found out you were home.”
“She said it was too late on a weekend to find another person to cover for her.” I lifted my ball cap off my head and ran my hand over my hair before settling it back in place.
“She’s not been herself since that boy broke her heart. It’s good you’re heading up to Mountain State this fall. I worry she’s not enjoying the college experience the way she should.”
I had no idea what to say to that, so I said nothing.
“You’re welcome to hang out here with us here if you want.” Her warm smile, so much like Taryn’s, was a punch to the solar plexus.
Only getting to spend part of yesterday evening with T was almost worse than not seeing her at all. Our few hours together had revealed what her emails hadn’t told me. Her light had flamed out. It killed me to see it. More than anything, I wanted to plant a fist in the face of the asshole who’d stolen that light.
“That’s okay, Mrs.H. I’m making the rounds today. I’d hoped to catch Taryn first, but I’ll see her on the Fourth.”
She sighed. “I hope so.”
I cocked my head and shot her a questioning look from beneath the brim of my hat.
“The girl wouldn’t commit to coming home next weekend. I have no idea if she’ll be here or not. Maybe you can talk some sense into her.” She blew out a breath. “I swear, second children are a trial.” Catching herself, she said, “I hope you’re planning to be back for dinner. I’ve laid out a package of pork chops.”
I grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I spent what was left of the morning at the gym where the captain maintained a membership. Working out was one of the few things we had in common.
As I pushed myself through an arms circuit, I thought about Taryn maybe not coming home for the Fourth of July. Skipping her second-favorite holiday with her family made zero fucking sense. She loved the parades, the picnic in the park, the fireworks. Before meeting her, I never knew anyone who actually oohed and aahed over the fiery light show. Her delight over them gave me a new appreciation for fireworks. Of course, I didn’t see much of the show in the sky with my eyes straying to her upturned face smiling and laughing between those oohs and aahs.
Truth be told, Taryn Hamilton was the most gorgeous human on the planet, her beauty arising from deep inside her heart and radiating out into the world. Though Derek’s vendetta against her had dimmed some of that incredible light, the douche she’d dated last year in college had all but extinguished it.
As I pressed the weighted bar over my head, with each exhale I pictured my fists connecting with his face. I hated the idea of her dating anyone, but I hated him even more for dumping and hurting her.
On Sundays in high school, a bunch of us on the team used to hang out at the diner that served breakfast all day. After I finished making myself good and sweaty, I showered and headed to Stella’s, hoping to run into someone I knew. I’d barely stepped through the door when Mike Ryan called me over to his table.
